Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Joey Boone: The Next Big Thing?

Tonight was an enjoyable evening with Lynnette and my parents at the Bluebird Café, listening to four songwriters in the round, one of whom was Joey Boone. Joey is a friend of a friend and I had never heard him sing or play before. After a few hours of listening to some of his best lyrics, I was amazed and left delighted. Tell your friends about Joey Boone.

As much as I like commercial radio with all of its bubble gum pop princesses and thugs-turned-celebrities, I do like a song with meaning and feeling. I enjoy a relaxing evening with a coffee or drink in a folksy setting with an acoustic guitar and a unique voice. But, stuck in my radio-only car, I get stuck in the rut of cheesy country songs about beer, dogs, lost love, and fishing. So, a night at the Bluebird with some real talent is more than refreshing.

Perhaps because of my dependence on radio idols, rarely do I hear a songwriter that can accurately cover such a wide range of emotions like Joey Boone. Whether you’re swaying wistfully to a song about his wife, on the verge of happy tears to a song about his daughters, or thrown for a loop with his song about a homeless man, Joey puts you in the moment, a rare skill that all writers covet. It is a talent borne in the throes of life, not one that can be bought or faked, like an SAT score.

The venue was borderline intimate, having you close enough to the performers to be mistaken for a background singer, but also cramped, like you’re eating in the middle seat of an airplane. Nonetheless, the Bluebird can tell many a story after its memorable history that has featured nearly everyone on the way up. Perhaps Joey is next in line.

I’m no producer, so I can’t tell if he has the right voice, the ‘it’ factor, or the ability to sell records. But I do know how I felt, how I enjoyed myself, and how I wished he could have been the only one playing. As someone who needs a break from the radio, Joey delivered.

Make a difference; support your local artists.

Comment (1)

Anonymous

9:01 AM

Sam, this is an amazing article on Joey. As his wife, I consider myself his biggest fan. It makes me very proud to know that he touches others in the same way. His talent is enriched by the people around him that support him so I thank you for being one of those. God Bless. Diane